New England Patriots

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft just made a HUGE contribution to the Massachusetts General Hospital ... donating $50 MILLION to promote health equity in the area.

81-year-old Kraft -- who is worth around $10 billion, according to Forbes -- says he handed over the check after being inspired by the treatment his late wife, Myra, received while battling ovarian cancer.

Kraft told WCVB he wanted to make it his mission to ensure people of all backgrounds had similar care ... and thanks to his money, the hospital will be able to start multiple new initiatives to make it happen.

One of the hospital's focuses will be sickle cell disease research ... which also happens to be the charitable cause for Patriots player Devin McCourty.

Kraft made a profound statement to Front Office Sports about the matter ... saying, "If this was a disease for white people, I think the cure would have been found already."

"I think it falls to people like myself to try to do what we can to help."

Kraft has made several donations to MGH -- recently named the best hospital in the country -- over the years, but the organization says this newest round of support has more than doubled the amounts in the past.

A man is suing the New England Patriots Hall of Fame ... claiming it ruined his one-of-a-kind, Tom Brady signed American flag -- costing him potentially over $1 MILLION.

The guy's name is Daniel Vitale ... and he says in a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, that back in early 2020, he acquired a flag that had been autographed by the G.O.A.T.

In his lawsuit, Vitale says the flag was ultra-rare. It had flown at Foxboro Stadium during a Patriots vs. Dolphins game in 2001 -- the same season that Brady first took over as the starter in New England -- and was signed by the quarterback a few years later. Vitale said he believed it to be the only American flag known to be signed by TB12 in existence.

Vitale says in the suit that in 2021, about a year after he got the piece, he reached out to the Pro Football Hall of Fame to see if it wanted to put it on display. He claims it did, but only after Brady and his former head coach, Bill Belichick, had retired.

The HOF, according to Vitale, suggested he reach out to the Patriots Hall of Fame at Gillette Stadium to gauge its interest in the flag in the meantime. Vitale claims in his suit that the Pats HOF wanted it -- and officials there promised him it would be "curated to the highest standard."

Vitale says he handed it over under that premise ... and it was almost immediately displayed underneath the Brady Super Bowl XLIX jersey that had been infamously stolen and later recovered.

Vitale, though, said months later ... he was considering asking for it back. He said due to Brady's potential retirement and the subsequent skyrocketing value of Brady memorabilia, he was thinking about putting it up for auction.

But, that's when he says he found out that the QB's autograph had faded due to what he claims is the way the HOF improperly displayed the piece.

In the suit, Vitale said "neither the lighting at [the facility] nor the glass [it] used for case displaying the flag were designed to protect autographed sports memorabilia."

He added, "there was a significant gap in the glass directly in front of the flag through which unfiltered light and heat could pass."

All of it, he said, caused the T and other parts of Brady's signature to significantly fade.

In a video of Vitale recovering the flag, you can hear he was crushed to see the state it was in.

In the suit, he said due to the Patriots HOF's mishandling of the flag, the value of it decreased by potentially as much as over $1 million.

He's asking for damages.

Bill Belichick presented Robert Kraft with the game ball after the team's 17-14 win over the Steelers in Pittsburgh ... in honor of Kraft's 500th game as the team's owner.

"We've had a lot of big wins here in Pittsburgh," Belichick told his team ... "We've had a lot of big wins here. I think it's fitting that this one comes on Mr. Kraft's 500th game."

Kraft -- who's owned the Patriots since 1994 -- was choked up ... but managed to speak a few words after his players implored him to deliver a speech.

"What you guys did here today is so sweet for my family, and I thank you all," Kraft told the team. "And, doing it here in Pittsburgh is pretty special. Thank you."

RK said he and his son, Jonathan, have the opportunity to work in different business industries, but none of them compare to the NFL -- mainly because of the players' impact.

A huge fire broke out in the parking lot at the Dolphins vs. Patriots game on Sunday -- destroying several cars -- and according to at least one witness, it all started after someone left a tailgating grill on.

A spokesperson for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue tells TMZ Sports ... firefighters were called to Hard Rock Stadium at around 1:28 PM after multiple people had seen flames pouring out of cars just outside of the venue.

Thankfully, according to the spokesperson, "firefighters immediately worked to contain and place the fire under control" and there were no reported injuries.

Video shot by multiple people at the arena showed the inferno was massive -- causing huge amounts of black smoke to pour into the stadium.

One witness says the owners of the cars had no idea their rides were destroyed until they returned to the parking lot. Another said the blaze appeared to start after someone had failed to properly extinguish their BBQ.

The MDFR spokesperson said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

One of the car's owners, Scott Dellorfano, told NBC Miami that his Mercedes S63 -- plus $3k he had in the vehicle -- were destroyed in the fire.

Robert Kraft had a champion in his corner as New England kicked off its 2022 season ... with the Patriots owner hosting none other than Mike Tyson in his suite.

Iron Mike was on hand at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. ... where he watched as the Pats fell to the division rival Dolphins, 20-7.

Mike had a seat right next to Kraft, who was sitting next to his son, Jonathan, -- and the two appeared to be chummy throughout the game as the Pats and 'Fins duked it out on the field.

No word on what exactly led to the meetup ... but Mike and Kraft seemed to have a lot to talk about throughout the duration of the game.

The day didn't go without an awkward moment, though -- At one point, Tyson went to give Kraft a fist bump, who missed the cue, but the two managed to clean it up at the end.

Parting ways with his Super Bowl ring just got much easier for Hakeem Nicks ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the former NY Giants star's bling fetched a whopping $117,000 at auction this weekend.

The gavel officially dropped on Saturday -- netting Nicks around $40K more than what Heritage Auctions officials had initially expected it to sell for.

It's great news for not only Nicks ... but charities as well -- as we're told the former wideout had planned to donate a portion of the proceeds to those in need.

Nicks initially put the piece up for sale earlier this month ... after he helped Eli Manning and the G-men win it back in 2012.

Nicks piled up 10 catches and 109 yards in the SBXLVI win over Tom Brady's New England Patriots.

The Patriots and Panthers' joint practice Wednesday looked more like a WWE match ... 'cause the two teams got into a huge brawl -- and the skirmish was so big, a fan was actually injured in the melee.

The fight initially started after Carolina star running back Christian McCaffrey was pissed over a tackle Patriots defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. put on him during 11-on-11 drills.

The 26-year-old got up after the hit and threw the ball at the Pats D-lineman ... and that's when all hell broke loose.

Video shows a bunch of Panthers players going after Wise and his teammates right near fans who were sitting in the bleachers -- and, at one point, players were thrown into the spectators.

According to Pat's reporter Tom Curran, a woman sitting in the stands was injured after one of the players' helmets hit her foot.

She reportedly refused any medical help, and did get an offer for tickets to a game later this season.

This is the second brawl between the Panthers and Pats this week -- on Tuesday, several players, including Pats' Kendrick Bourne, Kristian Wilkerson, and Panthers' Kenny Robinson, went at it.

James White is hanging up his cleats ... the New England Patriots running back announced Thursday he's retiring from the NFL after 8 seasons in the league.

White -- AKA "Sweet Feet" -- shared the announcement on social media ... in a heartfelt post where he addressed the Pats organization.

"It has been an honor to represent my family, my teammates, and the people of New England as a Patriot!" said White.

"Reflecting on my nine years in the NFL, and all the sacrifices it took to get here, there are many people that were just as much part of this journey."

The three-time Super Bowl champ thanked Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick for "giving me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream" ... calling it a "tremendous blessing" and "honor."

"To say that Foxboro will always hold a special place in my heart is an understatement. It's been the most significant chapter of my adulthood; my kids were born here," James wrote.

"It's the place we know the best as adults and where I have grown and created my family."

Kraft released a statement on White's retirement ... saying, "James White has always been one of the most reliable and dependable players on the field."

"Our fans will remain eternally grateful for his record-setting performance in Super Bowl LI when he helped the Patriots overcome a 20-3 deficit by scoring 20 points, including the game-winning touchdown in overtime."

White -- selected by the Pats in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft -- was one of the most reliable weapons for Tom Brady out of the backfield and as a receiver.

The highlight of White's career was his performance in Super Bowl LI against the Falcons. With the game knotted at 28-28 in overtime, "Sweet Feet" scored the decisive touchdown ... sealing the game for the Pats.

JW finished the game with 14 receptions for 110 yards (129 yards total), scoring 3 touchdowns and a 2-point conversion. A legitimate argument could be made he earned SB MVP honors ... and Brady may have agreed. Tom gave James his MVP prize ... a brand new truck.

White only played in 3 games last season ... due to a hip injury that sidelined him for most of the year.

White's ex-teammate, Julian Edelman, showed respect to James' career, writing, "Mr. Reliable. Congrats on a legendary career bubs @SweetFeet_White."

In March, White signed a 2-year, $5 million contract extension keeping him in New England ... but, it appears he's had a change of heart.

Former Patriots O-lineman Rich Ohrnberger was so afraid of being cut by Bill Belichick ... he intentionally rear-ended a van while on his way to practice after running late to a team meeting!!

Ohrnberger -- a fourth-round pick in the 2009 NFL draft -- made the confession Thursday on the "The Hartman And Rich O Show" ... saying he purposely got into a fender bender so he wouldn't have to face the wrath of the future Hall of Fame head coach.

"I was driving a Chevy Tahoe, and it says I'm late already," Ohrnberger recalled, continuing, "Or, I'm gonna be. I'm like 5 minutes to being officially late, and I've got a 15-minute drive ahead of me."

Rich -- who only spent two seasons with New England -- said he was terrified of what the notoriously strict coach might do.

"I had this sinking feeling in my stomach," and the entire time, he kept thinking to himself, "I'm gonna get cut."

Ohrnberger said he noticed a beat-up van and came up with the idea that if he got into an accident, that would be the perfect excuse for why he was late for the team meeting.

"And I'm cruising down this slight sloping hill that brings you to the first traffic light," Ohrnberger said, "that I have to turn right to get to the stadium for the morning meeting."

"I see a church van in front of me that's all dinged up, and it's got the black smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe, and I'm just like, 'I'm gonna hit this car.'"

Ohrnberger said he figured it's better to deal with the consequences of the collision -- banging up his car, etc. -- than dealing with Bill scolding him for being tardy.

Little did Rich know ... the church van he hit had an elderly man inside, but luckily, the old guy didn't sustain any injuries during the minor collision, and his van was okay, too.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft had special gifts for Elton John before his final performance at Gillette Stadium ... giving the music legend a customized football and autographed helmet!!

The team posted the touching moment on social media Thursday ... showing Kraft and Sir Elton sharing a smile and holding the presents before the second of two sold-out shows at the Patriots' home venue.

As it turns out, the two are very close friends ... and John is a big fan of the 6-time Super Bowl winners. In fact, the "Tiny Dancer" singer even served as the Pats' honorary captain when they played at Wembley Stadium in 2009.

The commemorative game football reads "Sir Elton John" and the tour's logo ... while the helmet appears to have a special hand-written message from Kraft to his buddy.

"A gift fit for the 🚀 man," the Pats said in a tweet.

Mark Wahlberg is still pulling for his guy, Baker Mayfield ... telling TMZ Sports the new Carolina Panthers quarterback has a "bright future ahead of him" -- even if it's not in Foxborough.

Remember, Wahlberg previously told us TWICE he saw #6 as Tom Brady's successor with the New England Patriots ... saying Mayfield was the "heir to the throne."

Of course, that was before a guy named Mac Jones came along ... and while he's "absolutely" still a fan of Bake, Mark is coming to terms with the fact he won't be seeing him in a Patriots uniform anytime soon.

"It's a very stacked field at the quarterback position," Wahlberg said in New York this week. "It also has to do with the coach and the team, but he's got a big, bright future ahead of him."

Mayfield was recently traded to the Panthers after a bad falling out with Cleveland ... which was sparked by the Browns' pursuit of Deshaun Watson.

Baker says he felt disrespected by the Browns' handling of the situation ... but says he's moved on and is excited for a fresh start in Charlotte.

The speculation can be put to rest -- Rob Gronkowski says his football-playing days are officially behind him ... and not even Tom Brady can change his mind.

The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer doubled down on his decision to walk away from the game just minutes ago ... saying he's excited to focus on new opportunities after 11 seasons on the field.

"Yeah, I'm done with football," Gronk said Tuesday. "Love the game. Definitely blessed with all the opportunities the game of football has given me and the relationships I’ve met, obviously, here in New England for nine seasons and down in Tampa for two."

"But, no, done with football. Stepping my feet into the business world, the business ventures and just seeing what’s out there and where I can find my place."

The comments come one week after teammate Mike Evans addressed Gronk's status ... saying he was hoping to see him back on the field for the Buccaneers in 2022, but knows it's probably for the best.

"He takes a pretty big beating," Evans told KPRC 2 Houston. "I've seen his body after some of them games and I understand why [he would retire]."

Ex-NFL star Martellus Bennett just unloaded on Jimmy Garoppolo ... saying his former QB in New England is a "bitch" -- and Julian Edelman seems to be cosigning the jab.

Martellus made the remarks when he joined his former Patriots teammates, Devin and Jason McCourty, on their "Double Coverage" podcast ... claiming no NFL team can win with Jimmy G at the helm because he believes the signal-caller is soft.

Bennett went on to explain he developed that opinion following the way Garoppolo filled in for Tom Brady during the GOAT's four-game suspension back in the 2016 season.

You'll recall, Garoppolo helped the Pats win the first two games of the season ... but he injured his non-throwing shoulder in Week 2, and sat out the ensuing two games due to the ailment -- something Bennett clearly thinks was a no-no.

"We lost two games," Bennett said. "One of them is because Jimmy Garappolo was being a bitch. He quit before us on the last -- decided not to play right before the game."

"So, we went out there, Jacoby [Brissett] came out and played with a f***ked-up thumb, [and] played his heart out. But, Jimmy was just being a bitch about it all."

Bennett added, "And he's still being -- like, that's why, you can't win with a bitch for a quarterback."

Julian Edelman, who played alongside Bennett on the Pats, was asked about Martellus' feelings toward Jimmy on a recent episode of the "I Am Athlete" podcast ... and the 3x Super Bowl champ said he felt similarly to Bennett.

"A lot of guys got mad about it," Edelman said. "I'm not going to lie, I got mad about it. I sacrifice my body all day long. I was taking shots for this, numbing up that."

"Ribs, broken ribs, shoulders. You know, Grade 3, hanging on by limbs, just to play," Edelman said. "And, you know, I can understand why Marty thinks like that."

Rob Gronkowski is once again hanging up his cleats ... the legendary tight end has just retired from football for the second time in his career.

The Tampa Bay star announced the news Tuesday ... this after he initially came out of retirement to play with Tom Brady and the Bucs in 2020.

In his two seasons with TB12 in Florida since, he won another Super Bowl ring ... and caught 100 more passes for 1,425 yards and 13 TDs.

"I want to thank the whole entire first class Buccaneers organization for an amazing ride, trusting me to come back to play and help build a championship team," Gronk said in a lengthy retirement post on his Instagram page.

"I will now be going back into my retirement home, walking away from football again with my head held high knowing I gave it everything I had, good or bad, every time I stepped out on the field."

Gronk first called it quits following the 2018 season ... saying after a 9-year stint with Brady and the New England Patriots, his body didn't feel well enough to keep going.

Gronk had toyed with the idea of coming back for a third season in Tampa Bay this offseason, telling TMZ Sports he was staying "in shape" just in case he got the itch to play again. But, apparently, that itch never came ... and he seemed sure of his decision in his announcement Tuesday.

"From retirement, back to football and winning another championship and now back to chilling out," Gronk said, "thank you to all."

What's interesting ... Gronk's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said there is at least a small chance this isn't the end of Rob's historic career ... telling ESPN's Adam Schefter, "It would not surprise me if Tom Brady calls him during the season to come back and Rob answers the call. This is just my opinion but I wouldn't be surprised if Rob comes back during the season or next season."

But, for now, it seems the 33-year-old is really done.

See ya in five years in Canton!

A Tuskegee Airman got an amazing surprise at his 100th birthday party ... New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft showed up -- and gifted the man a custom jersey!

Sgt. Victor Butler -- who's believed to be Rhode Island's last surviving Tuskegee Airman -- had the celebration on Saturday in North Providence, and just minutes into it, Kraft made a surprise appearance.

The 80-year-old shook Butler's hand, offered a bunch of praise -- and then handed over a Patriots jersey that featured Butler's name and the No. 100.

"We wanted to give you something no one else could give you," Kraft said at the event. "And, maybe it wasn't always easy, but you did what was best for America."

"So, we thank you for that."

The 6-time Super Bowl champion owner also gave Victor a signed football and took pics with the legend as those in attendance cheered, applauded and sang, "Happy Birthday."

What made the event even cooler? The former Sgt. had originally only asked that people send him birthday cards for his big day.

In addition to Kraft's gifts, others also showed up bearing presents -- and there was even a parade thrown his Butler's honor.

After 20 years of endless debate, Tom Brady is finally caving into the possibility that the controversial "tuck rule play" from the Patriots' 2001 playoff game "might have" been a fumble ... and naturally, the Raiders had something to say.

The 44-year-old took to social media to make the revelation with the help of none other than Justin Bieber on Thursday ... admitting there's a chance he may have gotten away with a fumble that the refs didn't call in the classic AFC Divisional Round game.

Here's the deal -- Bieber posted a TikTok asking his followers to tell him something honest (to promote his new single called, you guessed it, "Honest") ... which opened the door for Brady to make the public admission.

"The Tuck Rule game against the Raiders might have been a fumble," Brady said in the vid ... adding, "Keep this on the down-low please" in the accompanying tweet.

Remember, the Raiders were leading 13-10 with 1:47 left in the 4th quarter when Brady -- who started the season as Drew Bledsoe's backup -- dropped back to make a pass as defensive back, Charles Woodson, was blitzing off the edge.

Brady "lost the ball," but the refs ruled that because his arm was going forward, the play was an incomplete pass -- much to the dismay of Raiders fans.

The rest was history ... as the Pats went on to defeat the Raiders in overtime, 16-13, then march to the Super Bowl, where they beat the Rams, 20-17.

The Raiders' Twitter account had a hilarious reaction to TB12's vid ... saying, "Knew it."

While Brady has seemingly softened his stance on the play, he still believes the refs probably made the right call.

"I said might. Such a tough call. No choice but to respect the official's probably correct decision."